Delhi,3rd November 2026 :
Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) is using SITA SmartPath to enable eligible international passengers to verify their identity once and then be recognised at terminal entry, security and boarding. The initiative forms part of a three-month trial extending Digi Yatra to international departures at select Indian airports, beginning today. By linking each passenger’s Digi Yatra credential and e-passport with airline and airport systems, the solution reduces repeated manual document checks and frees staff to focus on passengers who need assistance.
The trial is open to eligible Indian e-passport holders travelling internationally with selected Indian carriers, who can create a digital credential linked to their e-passport. Passengers must continue to carry their travel documents, and all mandatory immigration, border, security and regulatory checks remain in place.
“At BLR Airport, we have taken a phased approach to building a biometric-enabled travel ecosystem, with interoperability and passenger-controlled data at its core. Extending DigiYatra to international departures marks an important next step in this journey. Through this trial, we are bringing together digital identity and face-enabled processing to minimise repeated document checks across participating touchpoints, while assessing how this experience can be further developed and scaled for international travel. Collaboration with government authorities and partners including IndiGo, Air India, SITA and DigiYatra will be critical to advancing a more seamless and digitally enabled passenger journey.”
George Fanthome, Chief Technical Officer, BIAL
“When an airport can confirm a passenger’s identity once and trust it at every step, it gets more from the terminal it already has. International departures are the real test, because that identity has to work with airline systems and checks beyond India’s domestic network. This implementation can serve as proof that other airports could pass that test too. The next step is cross-border recognition, so travelers verify once for the whole trip,” said Sumesh Patel, President, Asia Pacific Region at SITA.
At busy airports, where SITA SmartPath is already in operation, it has reduced boarding times by around 30%. Designed to integrate with existing airport infrastructure and third-party biometric services, it helps airports increase throughput with the terminal space and staff they already have, without compromising security. The trial at BLR Airport builds on a proof of concept completed there in March 2026 by Digi Yatra, IATA, SITA and airline partners, which showed a contactless international departure from airport entry to boarding.
For travelers, confirming their identity once means less time repeatedly presenting passports and boarding passes, helping reduce queues and create a quicker, smoother journey through the airport. Biometric data is handled in accordance with Digi Yatra and airport privacy policies and used solely for identity verification.
Following the trial, contactless international passenger processing is expected to expand to more airports across India.
